Typically, management of print services offered by a print provider is conducted by a person or persons deemed knowledgeable of the print services offered by the print provider. More specifically, the person or persons managing the print services of the print provider is charged with understanding the capabilities and/or limitations of the print services offered by the print provider, including equipment, materials, labor, and other resources of the print provider. In addition, the person or persons managing the print services of the print provider must also recognize the demands of print jobs presented to the print provider.
To ensure effective utilization of the print services of the print provider, the person managing the print services of the print provider must balance the capabilities of the print services with the demands of the print jobs and direct distribution of the print jobs accordingly. Unfortunately, the person managing the print services of the print provider may not be fully aware of available print jobs and/or the capability of print providers to fulfill the print jobs. Personal management of the print services of the print provider, therefore, may be ineffective and inefficient.
Accordingly, a need exists for automatically managing print services of a print provider such that the print services offered by the print provider are effectively utilized. More particularly, a need exists for efficiently distributing a print job to print providers such that use of the print services of the print providers are optimized.